Rifle



July 17, 1923.

E. F. L. FRITZ RIFLE Filed Sept. 30. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 17, 1923.

' 1,462,169 E. F. L. FRITZ RIFLE Filed Sept. 30. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 k fl Patented July 17, 1923.

PATNT f E. F. LEWIS FRITZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RIFLE.

Ap'piicaubn ined september so, 1922. serial No. 591,626.

T o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, E. F. LEWIS Fnrrz, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and

State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rifles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to novel improvements in rifles and has for its principal ob- 1`0 ject the provision for automatically feeding cartridges to the firing barrel of the rifle, the provision being of such construction which Will be highly efficient in use and economical in manufacture.

Among the salient objects of the invention is the provision for actuating the automatic yfeed upon manipulating the trigger mechanism embodied in a rifle of the usual construction such as the Remington No. 8 or the Winchester rifle. In this connection it is intended that the mechanism embodied in theinvention be associated with a rifle provided'with an automatic concussion reload of a construction similarly now in use in the rifles above mentioned.

Other objects Will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

e The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in Which,

Fig. 1, is a side elevational vievv of a rifle, partly in section, embodying the invention and taken substantially on line 1-1 'of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2, is a sectional detail view of the same, taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, is a sectional detail view of the same, taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4, is a detail view of the safety catch.

mechanism, embodied in the invention;

Fig. 5, is a sectional detail view of the rifle embodied in the invention, and talrensubstantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6, is a sectional detail vieu7 of the same taken substantiallyv on line 6--6 of Fig. 5, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of the same, taken substantially on line 7-7 of Fig. 1. v

In carrying the objects of the invention into effect and with reference to the draW- automatic concussion reload mechanism (not shown) usually associated with a Remington or Vinchester self-loading rifle, and 11 indicates the stock of the rifle which in this instance is provided with a magazine chamber 12 having a door opening 13 leading thereto, said door opening being closed by a spring controlled door 11 as best shovvn in Fig. 6. Arranged in the magazine chamber 12 is a guide 15 (see Fig. 2) for the reception of the heads 16 of the cartridges 17 and is arranged and adapted to guide thc cartridges during their travel to the automatic feed mechanism (not shown) arranged in the breech 10.

Associated with the stock 11 are pulleys 18, 19 and 2O over which a guide cable 21 is adapted to pass. Associated With the guide cable 21 is a push plate 22 (see Fig. 5) forward movement of which is imparted through the medium of a spring member 23, said push plate when in the position illustratcd in Fig. 5 is received by a housing 24. The push plate 22 is provided with a lateral projection 26 which is fixed to the cable 21 by any suitable means, the arrangement of which being such that upon movement of the cable 21 movement will be imparted to the push plate 22 which in turn forces thc cartridges 17 in a direction toward the concussion actuated carriage (not shown).

The pulley 2O is mounted on a stud shaft 27 which carries a gear 28 meshing with a gear 29 carried on a stud shaft 30. On the shaft 30 is arranged a ratchet Wheel 31 for engagement with a spring controlled dog 32 pivotally carried by the trigger 33 as shown in Fig. 1. This construction is such that upon movement of the trigger 33 the dog will engage one of the'teeth of the ratchet Wheel 31, imparting movement to the shaft 30, which through the movement of the gears 28 and 29 imparts movement to the shaft 27 causing the cable 21 to travel in the direction indicated by the arroiv ings, 10 indicates the breech provided with shown in Fig. 1. It will be thus seen that upon each operation of the trigger 33 the push plate 22 Wili be caused to force the cartridges into firing position.

In the present invention I provide a safety lock` device Which comprises two eppositely disposed spring controlled 'patvls 3a and adapted for engagement with the teeth of the gear 28, said paivls being cairicd bv a plate 36 fixed on a stud 'shaft 37' provided With an operating handle 38, through the medium of which the pawls 34 and 35 are alternately brought into engagement with the gear 28. The operating handle 38 is located on the left hand side of the stock 11 and is heldin its receptive position through the medium ofspring levers39. Then the paWll 34 is in engagement With the teeth of the gear 28 the cable 21 is permitted to rotate in one direction only and When the pavfl 34 is forced out of engagementand the pawl 35 forced into engagementwvith the gear 28 the cable ispermitted to rotate in the opposite direction and when both the paivls are out of engagement with the teeth of the gear 28 the cable is permitted to rotate in either direction.

When the cartridges have become eX- hausted. and-the push. plate is in its extreme ,forwardy position, and it is desired to draw the push plate back to its initial position, or rearmost position, by, manipulating the handle fOcarried on shaft t1 carrying the pulley 18, the cable 21A will be caused to draw the ush plate 22 back to its initial position. eforethis operation of the cable can bey accomplished, it is necessary to release the dog 32 from engagement With the ratchet Wheel 31 and thisA isv accomplished by manipulating a pin 31 fastened through slot 32 formed in the left hand. side of the stock 1l.

The cartridges are fed intofthe guide 15 through .the door opening 13 and through t-he medium` of the trigger mechanism 32 and push plate 22, to a position to be received by the concussion actuated means, and lafter the cartridges have been exploded, they are discharged by meansof the concussion actua-ted carriage, herein alluded to. The concussion actuated carriage is not disclosed' in `the drawings for it is to be understood that the embodiment of my invention can be used on'any rifle provided With concussion actuated4 carriage` discharge means.

In the pres/ enty invention I provide means for storing a large reserve of cartridges which can be readily brought automatically into.=liring position and which can be manufacturedzat a nominal cost and associated with any type ofrifle similarr to a riiie herein referred to..

While I' havefillustrated and described my preferred form'of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification Without departing` from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but

desire to avail myselfA of such variations and ment in one direction but permitting moveu ment of the member in the opposite direction.

2. In a riie, the combination With the trigger mechanism and the stock thereof, of a storage compartment in said stock g' a cable arranged in said compartment; a push plate i associated with said cableI andmeans actuated by the trigger mechanism for operating said push plate; and safety kmeans to prevent operation of said push plate. y

3. In a rifle, the combination With the f1 trigger mechanism and stock thereof, of a i storage compartment in said stock; pulleys arranged in said storage compartment; a guide cable associated with said pulleysand actuated by the trigger mechanism of said rifle; and a push plate associated with said cable adapted to feed cartridges arranged in said storage compartment toiring position in said rifle.

4. In a rifle, the combination with the trigger mechanism and stock thereof, `of a storage compartment in said; stock; a guide arranged in said. compartment for the reception of the heads ofv a number 'of cartridges; pulleys arranged in' said storage 3 compartmentga guide cable associated with said pulleys and actuated by the trigger mechanism of said rifle; and a pushplate associated With said cable adaptedto feed said cartridges arranged in said storage` compartment to firing position inf-said riiie.

5. In a rifle, the combination With the trigger mechanism and stoclr thereof-,cf a storage compartment in said stock; pulleys arranged in said storage compartment; :a guide cable associatedwith saidy pulleysand actuated by the trigger mechanism. of' said rifle; a push plate associated with said cable adapted to feed cartridges arranged. in said storage compartment yto firing position lin said rifle ,and means for returning saidpush plate to its initial position. y

6. In a riiie, the combination :with the trigger mechanism and stoclthereof', of a storage compartment in said; stock; aT guide arranged in said compartment for the ree cepton of the heads of a number of carmeans for returning said push plate to its trdges pulleys arranged in said storage cominitial position. 10 partment; a guide cable associated with said In testimony whereof I have signed my pulleys and actuated by the triggermechaname to this specification in the presence of 5 nism of said rifle; a push plate associated a subscribing Witness,

With said cable adapted to feed Said car- E. F. LEWIS FRITZ. trdges arranged in said storage compart- Witness: ment to firing position n 'said rifle; and CLARENCE E. THREEDY. 

